CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Multiple counts of cyber-libel and libel cases were also filed by the Real Steel Corporation management against broadcast journalist and social media personality Erwin Tulfo over series of defamatory remarks and malicious posts against the steel smelting plant at Barangay San Isidro, San Simon, Pampanga.
In a complaint affidavit submitted before the Provincial Prosecutors Office here by Jenalyn Salazar, RSC Human Resource manager, representing the steel factory and her lawyer Atty Camille Mendoza, it says that Tulfo has maligned the good name of the company by publishing false reports and posting baseless and unfounded stories on social media.
“I am executing my complaint affidavit on behalf of Real Steel Corporation (RSC) to charge respondent Erwin Tulfo, host of TV and Radio program ‘Tutok Tulfo 2.0, and Joey Gumana, former employee of RSC for conspiring with each other with at least one count of the crime of Libel as defined and penalized under Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code and three counts of the crime of Cyber Libel as defined and penalized under section 4(c)(4) of the Republic Act 10175 also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012,” said Salazar in a statement submitted to RSC lawyer.
Mendoza said RSC decided to file libel and cyber -libel complaints against Tulfo because of defamatory remarks and baseless accusation made by the journalist in his TV and radio programs and also in the social media such as YouTube and Facebook.
“Dahil sa mga defamatory remarks at kasinungalingan ng TV host and social media personality na si Erwin Tulfo kaya kami ngayon on behalf of the RSC ay nagsampa ng kaso,” said Mendoza shortly after she submitted the complaint affidavit to the provincial prosecutor office.
RSC owner Erwin Chua also filed separate libel and cyber-libel complaints via online before the City Prosecutors Office in Quezon City against Tulfo and Gumana.
Gumana, a dismissed RSC employee who sought the help of Tulfo, made it appear that he was a victim of maltreatment by Chua and RSC management. He further narrated that 100 workers were padlocked inside the factory and they forced to sniff illegal drugs before going to work.
In his complaint, Chua said Tulfo’s tirades, in separate ocassions on social media, television and radio, against me being a private businessman, are malicious, degrading, baseless and unfounded. He said the TV host did not even bother to get my side before airing and posting the issues on social media.
“Tulfo’s gesture and remarks are clear example of irresponsible journalism,” said Chua over the phone.
Former San Simon town Councilman Melchor Tayag recently filed seven counts of cyber-libel cases against Tulfo after the controversial news anchor mistakenly identified him as the “cruel” owner of RSC in several posts in the social media specifically Facebook.
“I was described as Chinese national in one of the social media posts with caption “Chinese national pinipilit ang mga empleyado magshabu, ginagawang target practice at binubugbog,” stated Tayag in his complaint affidavit filed before the fiscal’s office here.
Meanwhile, RSC announced that some of its employees who have voluntarily resigned after they were threatened by dismissed workers, were reinstated by the company and several others have applied for work as replacement for those who were not given chance to return to work.